Magnet Hospital is recognized by American Nurses Credentialing Centre (ANCC). This organization comes under American Nurses Association (ANA) and a recognition program for hospitals is introduced to improve and inspire nurses by training programs and support in 1990. In the long run, the aim was to elevate the hospitals at all levels of service right from primary to long term care especially in the nursing area. “There are fourteen separate areas that are assessed as part of determining whether a hospital deserves magnet designation.
These include quality of nurse leadership, perception of the value of nursing by other health professionals, compensation and fringe benefits for nurses, quality of care, dedication to quality improvement, level of education and teaching offered to incoming nurses or students, and management style. These and other areas are called Forces of Magnetism, and they can be used as a way of assessing how well hospitals retain and attract new nurses to their programs” (What is a magnet hospital? 2010, para. 4). The Magnet Hospitals are popular for neatness and proper nursing care.
The major characteristics of these reputed firms are that they take in and retain the best of nursing talent available and mould them to suit specialized categories. Also, the nurse-patient ratio is high in such hospitals thereby provides better care with lessen error frequencies. The Magnet recognition program faced challenges from similar organizations especially from the California Nurses Association and the Massacheussettes Nurses Association which declared that the program is just an act to promote certain hospitals.
To improve the quality and standards at all Magnet Institutions, the Centre for Nursing Advocacy came up with few suggestions at its World Congress Leadership Summit for Chief Nursing Officers. The Summit agenda is to improve safe facilities, ensure that the hospital policies will protect the nursing staff, strengthen training modules, strengthen credentialing process, improve collaboration between professionals, quality and timely care to one and all alike, improve awareness through public relation activities and above all that, Magnet program should be a government program to which all hospitals should adhere.
“Patients seek hospitals with awards and recognitions. US News and World Report has had phenomenonal success with its yearly issue on ‘America’s best hospitals’ which indicates how interested the health care consumer is in seeking quality institutions for access to the health care system. Magnet status makes hospitals more attractive to patients who are searching for an outstanding healthcare facility” (Magnet status, 2010, para. 4).
Magnet program facilitates and improves the nursing talent with which the health care consumers are assured with the best medical care especially the long term care in which a patient needs the care and support from professionally qualified and recognized institution’s staff. Thus the Magnet Hospitals directly establishes professional relation with the patients. By re-structuring the nursing work force and by organizing specialized categories for different ailments, the program has gone a step forward in customizing the treating and supporting methodologies from patient to patient.
Do Magnet Hospitals really work or do the newly trained and the so-called professionally accomplished nurses with Magnet are designated as better in advanced health care? “Magnet hospitals fare substantially better than other hospitals in recruiting and retaining nurses. The characteristics that account for this achievement include “higher nurse-to-patient ratios, greater nurse autonomy and control over the practice setting, positive nurse and physician relationships, nurse participation in organization policy decisions, and strong nursing leadership.
“148 Perhaps for this reason, the American Hospital Association’s most recent strategy document recommends that its member hospitals “embrace the characteristics of the magnet hospital program and incorporate them in work innovations” (Do magnet hospitals really work? 2010, para. 2). Conclusion: The arising need for the long-term medical care for patients who need support at all levels prefer professionally acclaimed institutions across the world like Magnet Hospitals. Hospitals across the world should adhere to certain standards when it comes to effective patient care.
The improved medical scenario has educated the patients with latest developments happening in the medical field. Increased awareness always demands for quality service from specialized personnel. The importance of government recognized programs like the ‘Magnetizing’ of hospitals is a natural outcome to the evolving phenomenon of professional nursing models. It should not be considered as a mere attempt to promote hospital administration. There is a need to standardize major and basic facilities like medical care. The training programs are just a means to facilitate that. The Difference in Being a Magnet Hospital
Independent research shows that Magnet facilities consistently outperform non-Magnet facilities by demonstrating For Patients • Lower mortality rates • Shorter lengths of stay • Increased stability in care and positive outcomes • Increased satisfaction and confidence levels “Recognizing quality patient care and nursing excellence, the Magnet Recognition Program provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark to measure the quality of care they can expect to receive” (Magnet status hospital recognition, 2003, para. 3). – Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
The paper summarizes on the note that the Magnet Hospitals have some of the best policies when it comes to administrating long term medical care to its patients which all other hospitals must adhere to. Reference List Day, T. (n. d. ). About long term care at home. Long Term Care Link. Retrieved March 26, 2010, from http://www. longtermcarelink. net/eldercare/long_term_care_at_home. htm Do magnet hospitals really work?. (2010). AFSCME. Retrieved March 26, 2010, from http://www. afscme. org/publications/2192. cfm Long-term care. (2009). Medicare. Retrieved March 26, 2010, from http://www.medicare. gov/longTermCare/static/home. asp Magnet status hospital recognition. (2003).
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